OKC Thunder explain ticket sale restrictions that leave Sonics fans out
May 31, 2012, 4:22 PM | Updated: Jun 1, 2012, 5:02 pm
The ticketing giant posted a notice that tickets Western Conference Final games may only be sold to residents of Oklahoma, and portions of Kansas and Arkansas. (Image courtesy TicketMaster)
(Image courtesy TicketMaster)
Despite Sonics fans’ recent kerfuffle with Thunder fans over a t-shirt, a Seattle fan wanted to go to the Western Conference Finals and wear his green and gold proudly.
Steve Bellows, a life-long Sonics fan was trying to go to Thursday or Saturday’s game. Then he encountered a restriction on the TicketMaster website.
The ticketing giant posted a notice that tickets to Western Conference Final games may only be sold to residents of Oklahoma, and portions of Kansas and Arkansas.
“I went on an NBA boycott after they left,” Bellows said. “And they still have (Nick) Collison and (Kevin) Durant and stuff, and I still root for them.”
He was planning to wear Sonics gear, because despite his cheers for the Thunder athletes, he still feels like they are the Sonics.
It’s unfair according to Bellows, even going as far to question the ticket sales’ legality and morality.
The Thunder responded to questions of their limited tickets on Friday. A majority of the seats in Chesapeake Energy Arena are owned by more than 14,000 season ticket holders, according to an NBA-Thunder spokesperson.
Because that means a limited number of tickets remain, “We want to focus on making them available to fans in our region,” said Dan Mahoney with OKC Thunder in an email.
Mahoney said that they recommend using a ticket exchange program that doesn’t have the same geographical restrictions as TicketMaster. “We would always encourage them to visit our Thunder TicketExchange, an online opportunity to buy tickets from our season ticket members.”
